Download PDF - Field Exchange - Emergency Nutrition Network

Improved formula for WHO oralrehydration saltsA new improved Oral Rehydration Salts (ORS)formula has been developed by the WorldHealth Organisation (WHO) and UNICEF. Itcontains less glucose and sodium than the standardformula (245 mOsm/l compared with theprevious 311 mOsm/l), which allows for quickerabsorption of fluids. This reduces the needfor intravenous fluids and makes it easier totreat children with acute non-cholera diarrhoeawithout hospitalisation. Because of theimproved effectiveness of reduced osmolarityORS solution, WHO and UNICEF now recommendthat countries use and manufacture, fordiarrhoea of all aetiologies and in all agegroups, the new formulation.Detailed recommendations concerning theprovision and production of ORS are providedin a revised joint WHO/UNICEF publication,'Oral Rehydration Salts: Production of the NewProfile of new ORS formulaNew ORS g/l % mmol/lSodiumchlorideGlucose,anhydrousPotassiumchlorideTrisodiumcitrate,dihydrate2.613.51.512.683 Sodium 7565.854 Chloride 657.317Glucose,anhydrousOrientation workshop on IFEThe IFE Core Group 1 is planning an orientationworkshop on infant and young childfeedingin emergencies (IFE) scheduled for 1-2 November 2006 in Oxford. Organised bythe ENN and funded by UNICEF, IBFAN-GIFA and CARE USA, the overall aims of themeeting are:• to orientate participants on IFE, the workof the IFE Core Group and the IFEresources that have been developed.• to identify and practically address the keyconstraints facing staff in implementingIFE related policies and strategies inemergency settings.• to network technical HQ and regional staffof UN agencies and NGOs with donors,professional bodies and academics.The workshop agenda has been informed bya recent evaluation of the use of Module 2(see summary in this issue) and by field experiencesshared with the IFE Core Group relatingto emergency responses in Pakistan andIndonesia post earthquake and post tsunami.This workshop is not limited to infant feedingspecialists but will include NGO and UNHQ and regional staff, donors, professionalbodies, academics and media representatives.The meeting will:• Facilitate exchange of experiences on sup-752.9 14.146 Potassium 2020.5 100 Citrate 10Osmolarity 245ORS' that is available on the WHO website,along with the revised monograph of the formulaat http://www.who.int/medicines/publications/pharmacopoeia/Oralrehydrationsalts.pdf/ Detailed technical information can befound on the UNICEF site: http://www.supply.unicef.dk/catalogue/bulletin9.htmAdditional information on diarrhoea can befound on UNICEF's Facts for Life websitehttp://www.unicef.org/ffl/07/ and on theWHO Child and Adolescent Health web sitehttp://www.who.int/child-adolescenthealth/New_Publications/CHILD_HEALTH/Acute_Diarrhoea.pdfFor more information contact: DanielaBagozzi, Communications Officer, WHOTelephone: +41 22 791 4544,Mobile phone: +41 79 475 5490,E-mail: bagozzid@who.int or Claire Hajaj,Media Officer, UNICEF New York,Telephone: +1 212 326 7566E-mail: chajaj@unicef.org©UNICEF/SD02-025/Yvonne ThobyThe new ORS packagingporting IFE at a regional and nationallevel, with focus on Asia in particular.• Explore the use of policy guidance inrecent emergency responses to identifystrengths, weaknesses, and constraints toimplementation.• Highlight the recently updatedOperational Guidance on Infant andYoung Child Feeding in Emergencies(2006) and establish criteria that defineagency support.• Demonstrate the use of the trainingmaterials.• Identify training needs and resourcesneeded to support training activities.The IFE Core Group members will meet for athird day to formulate a strategy for movingforward.Anyone who is interested in attending, orwould like to recommend a participant,should contact the IFE Core Group c/o MarieMcGrath, ENN, tel: +44 (0)1865 324996,email: ife@ennonline.net,1Since 1999, an interagency collaboration (IFE CoreGroup) has been committed to developing training materialsand policy guidance on infant feeding in emergencies.The IFE Core Group currently comprises UNICEF, UNHCR,WFP, WHO, ENN, IBFAN-GIFA, Fondation Tdh, and CAREUSA, co-ordinated (since 2004) by the ENN.NewsNew ClassificationTool IntegratingFood Security andHumanitarianActionA new tool has been developed at the FoodSecurity Analysis Unit ( FSAU) to harmoniseand improve the rigour of classifying andproviding early warning of various stages offood security and humanitarian situations.Developed in-situ in Somalia, the TechnicalManual for the Integrated Food Security andHumanitarian Phase Classification (IPC)draws on internationally accepted standardsand so is applicable in a wide array of livelihoodcontexts and crisis types.The IPC is not an assessment method anddoes not replace existing food security informationsystems or methodologies. Rather, itis a complementary classification system thatintegrates multiple data sources, methods,and analyses to provide a ‘common currency’for food security and humanitarian crises,explicitly linking analysis to action.Key aspects of the tool include:• Situation Analysis: where fundamentalaspects of a situation (e.g. severity, cause)are identified.• Classification of food security andhumanitarian situations into one of fivephases based on outcomes on lives andlivelihoods – (1) Generally Food Secure,(2) Chronically Food Insecure, (3) AcuteFood and Livelihood Crisis, (4)Humanitarian Emergency, and (5)Famine/Humanitarian Catastrophe.Using key information, Early WarningLevels (EWL) are used to communicatethe risk of a worsening phase: (1) Alert,(2) Moderate Risk, (3) High Risk.• A Strategic Response Framework isprovided for each phase with a view tomitigating immediate negative outcomes,supporting livelihoods, and addressingunderlying/structural causes.Organised into four components, the IPCcomprises a core Reference Table (coveringphases and EWL), Analysis Templates (tohelp organise key information),Cartographic Protocols (mapping and communicationtools to visualise situationalanalysis on one map), and PopulationTables (to aid effective communication ofpopulation estimates).The manual is available from the FoodSecurity Analysis Unit – Somalia, KalsonTowers, Parklands, Box 1230 Village Market,Nairobi, KenyaPh: 254-20-3745734 Fax: 254-20-3745098Email: fsauinfo@fsau.or.keOr online at http://www.fsausomali.orgIdeas for future improvements are welcomeand should be directed to the FSAU.Ref: FAO/FSAU 2006. Integrated FoodSecurity and Humanitarian Phase Classification: Technical Manual Version 1. Nairobi,FAO/FSAU Technical Series IV.1114